Lactose Intolerance and Homeopathy
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest and absorb lactose (type of sugar present in milk and other dairy products) that results in gastrointestinal symptoms when milk or food products containing milk are consumed.
Normally when a person eats something containing lactose, an enzyme in the small intestine called lactase breaks down lactose into simpler sugar forms called glucose and galactose. These simple sugars are then easily absorbed into the bloodstream and turned into energy, fuel for our bodies. Enzyme levels are highest shortly after birth and decline with aging, despite a continued intake of lactose.
Lactose intolerance has become a common problem affecting both genders equally.
Who Gets Lactose Intolerance?
A person may be or may become lactose intolerant for different reasons:
- Ethnic background. People of Asian, African, Native American, and Hispanic backgrounds are more likely to develop lactose intolerance at a young age.
- Other problems with the digestive tract. People who have inflammation of their upper small intestine, such as coeliac or Crohn’s disease, have a reduced level of the lactase enzyme.
- Medications. Certain antibiotics can trigger temporary lactose intolerance by interfering with the intestine’s ability to produce the lactase enzyme.
- Infection. After a bout of infectious diarrhoea, some kids can develop temporary lactose intolerance that usually improves after a few days or weeks.
- Age. As people get older, their bodies usually stop producing the lactase enzyme, and most people will naturally become lactose intolerant over time.
What Happens When Someone Has Lactose Intolerance?
People with lactose intolerance may have a variety of symptoms. It all depends on how much dairy or how many milk-containing food the person eats, and how little lactase the body produces.
Usually within 10 minutes to 2 hours after eating, someone with lactose intolerance will experience nausea, vomiting, skin rash, stomach cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhoea.
Homoeopathic Management of Lactose Intolerance*
Homeopathy has proven beneficial to solving the lactose intolerance problem. Our pathy takes care of the internal maintaining cause of a variety of food sensitivities, in addition to dairy. Homoeopathic remedies stir up the inherent healing powers of the body. Homeopathy considers lactose intolerance as a disruptive manifestation of the patient’s immune system. The symptoms of lactose intolerance indicate an underlying, deeper malfunction. Homeopathic remedies heal with a deep acting constitutional approach, stimulating the body’s natural defence against lactose intolerance symptoms. The efficacy of homoeopathic remedies is seen in changes in pathology including subsiding any intestinal swelling, and progressively restoring the microflora, which facilitates in breaking down undigested lactose.
Homoeopathic remedies reinforce the immune system making the body react less to dairy products. Our medicines are made from natural substances and include specific allergens to gently, safely expose the individual to their specific weak areas. This allows the natural defences to properly adapt to the secretion of the lactase enzyme and no longer react to it adversely.
Manage Lactose Intolerance by Following these Simple Steps
- Choose lactose-reduced or lactose- free milk.
- Supplement your lactose containing food item with something, when you do drink milk or eat.
- Eat lactose-containing foods with other non-lactose foods during the same meal to slow digestion and avoid problems. (For example, if you are going to have a milkshake, don’t drink it by itself. Have something else with it, like a healthy sandwich).
- Drink juices that are fortified with calcium.
- Eat a variety of dairy-free foods that are rich in calcium, such as broccoli, beans, tofu, or soy milk. Consider hard cheeses such as cheddar, which are lower in lactose.
- Yogurts that contain active cultures are easier to digest and much less likely to cause lactose problems.